A lot like Love
by tilie
Summary: Harry, Hermione & Ron have been friends forever! But now that they are out of school and are 18 years oldthings will change! Challenges will be faced, new friendships will form, and the romance between 2 old friends who have grown up together will blossom
1. Chapter 1

A lot like Love

Chapter One-

"Let's see, 552-1083," Hermione dialed the number on her phone. It was the number to the Dursley house. Even though Hermione knew that Harry did not live with his Aunt and Uncle anymore she still had to call their house to get the number of where Harry was living now. See after Harry turned 17 he moved in with Tonks and Lupin, and he has been living with them for almost a year.

"Hello, hello," a very low grouchy voice said.

"Um, yes, hello," Hermione stuttered. She did not know exactly what to say. She knew that if she asked for the number where Harry was staying they would not give it to her, for the Durseys were not friendly people and they hated anyone or anything that had to do with their nephew. "May I please speak to Harry Potter," she figured that if she acted as if she did not know where Harry was then they might think that she has less to do with him, so there was a better chance of Mr. Dursley giving her Harry's new number.

"He's not here. That despicable monster does not live here anymore!" he said forcefully.

"Well may I have the number of where he is at?"

"You, well, err…." Mr. Dursley grouchily started mumbling to himself. Hermione could hear him fumbling around for what she assumed was Harry's number.

"Alright, alright, 624-424-6873, happy now!"

Hermione was somehow able to utter in a thank you before Mr. Dursley slammed the phone down.

As she dialed Harry's number she couldn't help but wonder if she had won the bet….

You see six years ago, back when Harry, her and Ron were in their second year, her and Harry made this bet….

_FLASHBACK_

"Hufflepuff!" The Sorting Hat remark, everyone applauded. It was the very beginning of the trio's second year and none of them knew about the events that awaited them in the nearby future.

"How do you think the sorting hat knows where to place all the first years?" Ron asked.

"I guess it just does," Harry said.

"Do you think it could tell us where we'll be in six years? When we're all eighteen years old?"

"I don't need a hat to tell me that."

"How so Harry? Hermione asked looking quizzical.

"I know exactly where I'm going to be in six years."

"No you don't, you just assume you know."

"I don't know Hermione," Ron said, "When Harry's sure of something it usually happens. Don't you remember all the events of last year?"

"Don't you remember how Harry _knew_ it was Snape?" Hermione said mordantly.

Ron's ears turned red as he gave a look of guilt.

Hermione turned her attention back to Harry. "I bet that things will end up completely different from what you expect Harry."

"Oh yeah, well I say that in six years when I'm eighteen years old I'll be married, and my wife and I living on our own. Plus I'll have a fabulous job, an invisibility car just like Ron's family has, and-"

"Alright, alright, we get it!" Ron exclaimed, "You have your future planned out."

"I say that everything that you just said won't be true by the time you're eighteen."

"I say it will be," Harry said to Hermione.

"Ooh why don't you two bet on it? That's always what the twins do with me when we have a disagreement."

"Ron have you ever won any of those bets?"

"…No," Ron said sadly.

"Alright, I'm up for a bet," Harry said, "In six years call me and when my lovely wife answers the phone and brags to you about my terrific job, our fantastic car, and our beautiful home, then you'll know that all my goals have come true. So is it a bet?" Harry stuck out his hand to shake on it.

Hermione took it and said, "It's a bet."

_END OF FLASHBACK_

After all they had been through, that day had seemed so long ago.

"Hello," a female voice said.

Wait this wasn't really Harry's wife was it? All of his goals in life couldn't have actually come true, could they?


	2. Chapter 2

I should have had this before but here it is now

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter (obviously)

"Yes hello, can I please speak to Harry Potter,"

"Who is this?" the woman said.

"It's Hermione Granger, a good friend of his,"

"Oh Hermione how good it is to hear from you again. How are you?"

"Tonks?"

"Yes,"

Oh it was just Tonks. It wasn't Harry's wife. Hermione was relieved. But wait, why did Tonks sound so differently?

"Tonks, why do you sound so differently? Is something wrong with your voice?"

"Oh no, nothing is wrong, we just have a charm over our phone."

"How come?"

"So… well, I'll have Harry explain it to you," she said, "Harry," Tonks called.

"Hello?"

"Harry?"

"Hermione! It's great to hear from you again!"

"You also sound different," Hermione said, "How come you have this charm on your phone?"

"Well I wasn't able to write you about it but we might have detected some Death Eaters," he said.

"Oh no that's terrible, why didn't you tell me?"

"Well you know I wanted to Hermione, but I just thought it would be-

"Be too dangerous, I know."

"Well, yeah. And that's why we have the charm on the phone, so Death Eaters can't track me down, this way they'll never know it's me."

"So you mean they could be listening right now?"

"Maybe. Listen," Harry was whispering now. "Lupin and McGonagall want us all to meet, you, me, and Ron so we can investigate if there are really any Death Eaters still out there."

"Alright, where?"

"They figured that Hogwarts would be the best place for it, in the Room of Requirements. It's next week, you can apparate yourself there, they've given us permission."

"Alright. Oh and Harry,"

"Yes?"

A smile formed on Hermione's lips, "You owe me a trip to Hogsmeade!"

"What for?"

"Don't you remember our little bet from six years ago? You said that if you weren't living on your own, had a car, a job, a house, and a wife, then you would take me out to Hogsmeade. And you don't have any of those things, do you! So I won the bet! So now you owe me a trip to Hogsmeade!"

"Well actually…"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Ok, this chapter is really short, but I put up chapter four to go with this one,

and to all the people who are reading the story, thanks for your supported.

Well here's the chapter:

Chapter 3- 

"Actually what?" Hermione cut him off.

"I actually am moving into my own flat this summer,"

"Really? Oh Harry that great,"

"Yeah, it's already arranged and everything, now all that's left is for me and Delcey to move in,"

"Delcey? Who's Delcey?"

"My girlfriend, I met her this past year, oh she's great Hermione-she's really funny, and pretty, and smart, oh and-you should meet her, I bet you would like her,"

"Whoa Harry don't get ahead of yourself, we're still in the middle of our last bet, remember?"

"Oh yeah, sorry…" he trailed off.

"I thought you were done dating for now."

"I did too, but oh Hermione if you knew her you would have changed your mind too."

"Well she sounds lovely Harry. Well I have to go but I'll see you at Hogwarts next week."

"Yeah ok, I'll uh, I'll take you to Hogsmeade then ok?"

"Ok, bye," Hermione said I she hung up the phone.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-

"Well everyone thanks for coming down here, and well I guess it was just a false alarm," Lupin said as they finished the inspection.

"So, it's been a while since the three of us have actually hung out, what do you want to do?" Ron asked.

"Actually Ron, me and Hermione already have plans, but you can-"

"What do you guys have a date or something?" he said in a joking way as he laughed.

"No, I just owe Hermione a trip to Hogsmeade, that's all," Harry said, "but you can come along if you like-but I'm not paying for you."

"Well where were you going to go?"

"Well, I figured that we would stop first at the three broomsticks, and then we would walk around for a while until we saw somewhere we'd like to go to," Hermione said.

"Well alright," Ron said.

"So Ron, how's the new job going?" Harry asked as the three of them sat down at a table.

"It's alright. The pay is good and all, but the hours are long, I mean, they gave me Christmas, but they've got me working on New Years Eve."

"So you won't be celebrating with us?" Hermione said in a disappointed voice.

"Uh, actually Hermione, I'm busy as well," Harry said.

"So I'll be spending New Years Eve alone?" Hermione sighed and her face drooped into a bigger frown.

While taking into a bite of a sandwich, Ron asked, "Harry what plans do you have?"

"Delcey and I are going to spend our first New Years together as a couple."

"Ah yes," Ron began, "the girlfriend, how's that going for you mate?"

"Well she is just fantastic."

"Tell us about her Harry, she sounded lovely when you described her over the phone,"

"Hold on a minute," Ron said with half of his sandwich in his mouth, "you told her," Ron pointed toward Hermione, "your friend, who's a girl, about your girlfriend?"

"Well sure mate why not?"

"It's just strange that's all."

A/N: ok well that's all for now, sorry for the short chapters, life has just been hectic lately—and most likely it's gonna get worse, but I'll try to put up new chapters as soon as I can!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-

"Why is it strange?"

"I don't know, it just is," Ron said as he licked the mayonnaise off his fingers. "Oh, now my fingers are all sticky," Ron said with a grumble.

"Yeah, you better go wash them mate," Harry said. So Ron got up to go wash his hands. While he was gone there was a silence between Harry and Hermione, they were both mulling over what Ron had said.

Finally Hermione broke the ice, "Do _you_, think its weird how you tell me about your girlfriends, when I-um, am a girl?"

"I don't know. I've never really thought about it until now, truthfully," he said. "I mean, I've just told you this kind of stuff for so long that I guess I never really stopped to think that I'm telling my girlfriend- I mean my girl- my friend- who's a girl, uh…I mean, um," Harry gulped. He knew that both him and Hermione didn't have feelings for each other, and he always got embarrassed when someone called her his girlfriend, but it was even more embarrassing when he was talking about her and he calls her his girlfriend, when all he really means to say is his friend who's a girl.

"I uh, I mean," he stuttered.

Hermione blushed a little and then smiled, "It's ok Harry, I know what you mean,"

"Ok, good," he said in relief.

"It would be weird if we once dated, or if we liked each other, but we don't," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Harry feeling more comfortable, "we don't."

"Exactly, I mean, I striked you out years ago."

"Right. Wait what?"

"Years ago, I striked you out, well it's more like you striked yourself out."

"What do you mean?"

"You got three strikes."

"Three strikes of what?"


	6. AN: sorry

hey guys, sorry the last couple of chapters have been short, and i'm also sorry that i haven't updated in a while, and once i put up a new chapter i promise it will be and extra extra long one!...but i just thought you guys should know that i won't be able to update for a while. see i'm going to Washington DC with my school for a week, and then i have finales. so i'm really sorry, but its gunna be a while until the next chapter...  
sorry


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